Method and apparatus for making producer gas



Jan. 28, 1958 Y K. BLEYER 2,821,454

Ammon ANO APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRODUCER GAs med Jan. 1v, 1955 United States Mate-nt METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRODUCER GAS Karl Bleyer, Siegburg, Germany Application January 17, 1955, Serial No. 482,293 Claims. (Cl. 48f.76)

filled into the head is not completely distilled. There are further known oblong low temperature gas producers having distillation chamber coal capacities that do not supply enough coke at the lower heating temperatures to satisfy the full capacity of the gasification chambers. Due to insufficient heating, distillationof coal is incomplete in these producers or distillation takes too long to furnish a sulicient quantity of su'iciently distilled coal to the gasification zones. In these cases, a large portion of volatile constituents of the coal is not recovered as a rich gas, but is lost in hot blasting with the blowing gases if thegas generator is operated on the principle of alternate blowing and gassing.

The invention has for its object a further improvement and development of the method as well as an improved embodiment of the apparatus for making producer gas. Itsessential feature consists inthat complete gasification Ofthe fuels is obtained in a single gas generator, Whether by continuous, blowing or by alternate blowing and gassing, and that all distillation products originating in the distillation chambers especially from bituminous fuels are caused to flow downwardly through the indirectly heated fuel in the same direction asv the fuel itself moves` more gradually due to its burning away at the bottom. The bituminous and hydrocarbon materials `of the distillation products are thusv converted intofixed gasesupon admix: ture with the water-gas flowing in from the decomposi-v tion zone and are then. drawn off from the distillation chambers by means of outlets arranged at different levels. Any carbonthat4 may divide out during cracking from liquid` or gaseous materials is gasified tgether with the solid constituent of the coal charge in the joining decompositionV zoney ofthe upwardly narrowing gasification chamber. Further'liquid` fuels may be directly admixed tothedistillation products originating from the fuels. If a great quantity of rich gas has to be gained, liquid and/or gaseous hydrocarbon fuels with the addition of water or vapor may be additionally introduced into` the generator or into channels arranged within the generator and opening into the solid fuel. The indirect heating ofl thefuel is effected by heating gases flowing upwards from'the lower part of the decomposition zone which are burned with added air under increase of temperature during'continuous or` intermittent hot blowing. i

According to a further feature of the inventipn,I the liquidi and/orgaseous hydrocarbon fuelsk may also be introduce-(liuto the heating flues during gassing, as for instance, through the= air inlets, andl the formed vapors and gases may be carried `for furthercrackingstltrough theV glowing fuel to the gas outlets. A partialstream of rice the fixed gases removed through the gas outlets may be drawn olf by means of a blower and introduced from above into the distillation chambers while the rest of the stream is drawn olf to form the output of the producer.

Each heating flue may be advantageously formed in such a manner that a split heating gas stream is obtained by the arrangement of a middle vertical partition. rhis partition simultaneously serves to support the walls of the chambers which may be additionally reinforced by separate transverse binding stone posts. The distillation chambers of rectangular cross-section have to be kept wide compared with the adjacent narrow heating fines. According to the invention, the section of each chamber has such a Width that` the sum of these widths amounts to more than 0.4 times the diameter of the generally cylindrically formed outer wall of the producer.

By the development according to the invention thorough heating and complete gasification of the fuels are obtained in a single gas generator.

The fuel charge in the distillation chambers is completely distilled by indirect heating by means of heating gasesflowing up from the decomposition zone which are eventually burned with air during continuous or intermittent hot blowing so that the fuel in counter-current to upwardly directed heating sinks 4downwards due to burning off at the bottom into zones of higher temperature, and is heated in an increasing manner. Due to this arrangement, the distillation products together with the sinking fuel likewise come in the same direction into zones of higher temperatures for conversion into fixed gases so that in this manner a rich mixed gas is formed having the qualityof town gas or natura] gas. Depend ent on the desired heating value, thisvgas is derived from the distillation chambers under different temperatures through gas outlets arranged at different levels and upon admixture with airand water-gas flowing from the decomposition zone. The liquid or gaseous fuels may be added to the coal charge or may be introduced with the addition of water vapor into the heating flues during gassing as, for instance, through the air inlets. For fur; ther crackingV the formed vapors and gases may be carried through the glowing fuel to the gas outlets. Part. of this gas is drawn olf by means of a blower and is introduced from above into the distillation chambers. Thus the vapors and gases of distillation accumulating in these chambers are carried away in an accelerated manner from the tar-forming and fuel caking zone through zones of higher temperatures to the gas outlets to prevent as much as possible softening and caking of coal. Carbon dividing out during cracking from the distillation tar or the liquid or gaseous fuel is gasified together with the solid constituent of the coal charge in the joining gasification zone so that the total fuel charge yields useful gasand ashes only.

The arrangement of the middle partitions further provides for a more advantageous mixture of the combustion air necessary for obtaining a complete combustion of the heating gas carried-upwards through the narrower heating flues along the corresponding wall strips of the distillation chambers.

In the accompanying drawing is shown by way ofexample an embodiment of the apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the apparatusV on lineI-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is across-section on line Il lI of Fig. 1.

Over the combustion zone 1 are arranged distillation chambers 3 ofV rectangular cross-section which are separated from one another by heating llues 2 formed as narrow as possible. The cross-section of chambers 3, especially their width, has to be dimensioned sufficiently 3, large for the reception and easy passage of coal therethrough in view of its burning off at the bottom which takes place over the grate. The longitudinal walls of the chambers are reinforced within the heatingflues "by means of a middle vertical partition 4 and by a number of binding stone posts 5. The upper part 3a of the outer wall of distillation chambers 3 is conically enlarged downwards in the tar-forming caking zone and the lower part 3b is formed vertically. They are provided at different levels with two or more gas outlets such as 6, 7, 8. Solid fuel is fed in at 9, and oil or hydrocarbon gas is introduced at 9 or at 10 into channels 11 opening at 12 into the upper part of the decomposition zone or lower part of the distillation zone, or at 18 into the heating flues during gassing. The walls of the distillations chambers are supported by relieving arches 13 which transmit their load stresses upon an incline 14 arranged in the sheet metal jacket, the incline itself being supported by posts 15. An offset 16 at the lower end of the walls of the distillation chambers projects into the interior of the decomposition zone to facilitate falling to pieces of the coke cake as it drops out of the chambers. The combustion and decomposition zone 1 has in the upper part a vertical wall 1a and in the lower part a wall 1b sloping towards the grate 17 to obtain a combustion and decomposition chamber receiving a greater quantity of fuel.

The heating gases produced in the chamber 1 in intermittent hot blowing by introduction of air through grate 17 ow with the addition of combustion air 18 through heating ue 2 around the reinforcing stone posts 5 to gas outlet 19. In subsequent gassing, vapor is blown into chamber 1 through grate 17 for the production of watergas which upon admixture to the distillation gas coming from above is drawn from the gas generator through axially spaced gas outlets 6, 7, 8 dependent on the heating value of the producer gas desired. A partial stream 20 is drawn off by means of a blower 21 and is introduced at 22 from above into the distillation chambers 3 while the rest of the stream 23 is drawn off as useful gas to the gasometer. ln continuous blowing by introduction of a mixture of vapor and air, part of the gas flows from chamber 1 into the heating ilues 2 and the other part to the gas outlets 6, 7, 8 upon admixture of gas produced in the distillation chambers, or the whole quantity of the gas produced in chamber 1 may flow into heating ilues 2.

The invention offers the possibility of carrying out complete conversion of fuels into fixed gases and ashes only in a single gas generator requiring low building costs and with minimum loss of heat.

What is claimed, is:

1. A method of making producer gas by gasication of fuels comprising the steps of directing the fuel to be gasiied downwardly through a closed vessel and while directing said fuel downwardly causing it to pass successively through a distillation zone, a decomposition zone and a combustion zone, indirectly heating said fuel as it passes through said distillation and decomposition zones through the medium of ue gases directed upwardly from said combustion zone and without bringing said flue gases into direct contact with said fuel, and drawing off the producer gases from said `decomposition zone, while circulating a portion of said producer gases over the top and downwardly through said distillation zone so as to displace the gases in the distillation zone into the decomposition zone.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of selectively adding combustion air to the flue gases during movement of the said gases from the combustion zone so as to effect increases in temperature of the said gases.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of selectively introducing liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuels in the distillation zone and thereafter effecting passage of said last mentioned fuels through said' distillation and decomposition zones for distillation and conversion to fixed gases and as additives to the gases drawn off as producer gases.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of selectively introducing liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuels to the distillation zone, and combining said last mentioned fuels with the flue gases so as to form vapors and gases for decomposition and fixing in the decomposition zone and admixture with the other producer gases to be drawn off.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flue gases as they pass upwardly through said decomposition and distillation zones occupy a space approximately four-tenths the space represented by the said zones.

6. A gas generator comprising a generally cylindrical wall of refractory material and a fire grate at the bottom thereof, means subdividing the interior of said gas generator into a combustion section located adjacent said re grate, an intermediate decomposition section and a distillation section located above said decomposition section, fuel charge inlet means in said distillation section, means in said decomposition and distillation sections dividing said sections into two series of separate, vertical and parallel chambers, one series of chambers receiving the fuel charge and the other series of chambers being in communication with the combustion section and acting as vertical heating ues receiving the gases from the combustion section so as to provide distillation temperatures in the fuel charge near the top of the distillation section and higher temperatures in the fuel charge in the decomposition section, outlet means in the distillation section for the heating gases, blower means located intermediate said decomposition section and the top of the generator for drawing off some of the fixed gases produced in the decomposition section and for forcing them into the top of the generator over the fuel charge, so as to induce a downward flow of the gases of distillation through the decomposition section and means for drawing off the remainder of the gases from the decomposition zone for use as producer gases.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6, including inlet means for admitting combustion air into said heating ue chambers at predetermined points in said decomposition and distillation sections.

8. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein the total horizontal cross-sectional area of said fuel charge chambers is approximately four-tenths the area of the surface of the grate.

9. The device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ue chambers extend diametrically across said generator so as to facilitate more intimate mixture of the combustion air with the ue gases and a more complete combustion thereof.

l0. The device as set forth in claim 6, including spaced reinforcing binding posts extending across the flue chambers between the side walls thereof.

11. The gas generator as defined in claim 6, including perforated arches at the bottom of the flue chambers for supporting the side walls of the flues, an annular inwardly inclined support surface forming the annular support for the generator mounting located adjacent said arches, said arches transmitting their load stresses to said annular support surface.

12. A gas generator as defined in claim 6 wherein the inside surface of the cylindrical wall portion of the generator adjacent the distillation section thereof tapers downwardly and outwardly so as to facilitate dropping of the fuel charge caked with tarry distillates into the distillation section.

13. The device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the inside surface of the cylindrical wall portion of the generator adjacent the decomposition section is located in a substantially vertical plane.

14. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein the inside surface of the cylindrical wall portion of the gen- 5 erator adjacent the combustion section is slightly olset outwardly from the wall portion of the decomposition section to facilitate breaking up of the coke as it drops from the said fuel charge chambers.

15. The device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the lower extremity of the cylindrical Wall portion of the generator located adjacent the combustion section is inclined inwardly and downwardly to the level of the re grate.

965,086 Conkling July 10, 1910 McElroy Feb. 2, 1926 Kemp July 17, 1928 Snyder Nov. 18, 1930 Ekelund Dec. 5, 1933 Linder Oct. 10, 1939 Van Ackeren Nov. 14, 1939 Van Ackeren Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 2, 1935 

1. A METHOD OF MAKING PRODUCER GA S BY GASIFICATION OF FUELS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DIRECTING THE FUEL TO BE GASIFIED DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A CLOSED VESSEL AND WHILE DIRECTING SAID FUEL DOWNWARDLY CAUSING IT TO PASS SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A DISTILALTION ZONE, A DECOMPOSITION ZONE AND A COMBUSTION ZONE, INDIRECTLY HEATING SAID FUEL AS IT PASES THROUGH SAID DISTILLATION AND DECOMPOSITION ZONES THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF FLUE GASES DIRECTED UPWWARDLY FROM SAID COMBUSTION ZONE AND WITHOUT BRINGING AID FLUE GASES INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID FUEL, AND DRAWING OFF THE PRODUCER GASES FROM SAID DECOMPOSITION ZONE, WHILE CIRCULATING A PORTION OF SAID PRODUCER GASES OVER THE TOP AND ND DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID DISTILLATION ZONE SO AS TO DISPLACE THE GASES IN THE DISTILLATION ZONE INTO THE DECOMPOSITION ZONE. 